*
The month of January came by, and the temperatures were so low, that the sea was almost frozen. Amira was so disgusted by her daughter’s behavior, and appalled by Kristall, that in one of the days, when the boy didn’t come, Amira called Angell in the living room, where in the fireplace was burning a pleasant fire.
“What do you want?” Angell shouted at her mother.
Amira pushed her on the couch, being revolted and sick of fury.
“How dare you, bitch, to talk to me like that?”
“Simple. Leave me alone!”
“ENOUGH! Angell, I do not know what is going on but you look like a slut. You dyed your hair blond, and you put blue eye contacts… plus this behavior which unsatisfactory. Since you met Kristall, you have become a monster.”
“You are the monster for not understanding!”
“What is to understand Angell? That you love this wretched? That you cast away your friends and people who love you?”
“It is not your damn business!”
For her rudeness, Amira downloaded a stinging slap.
“Angell Valentine Veriss! I forbid you to see this boy again.”
Angell got up easily, having an expression that scared her mother, which could read very easily in her eyes the fury.
“Let’s see that, shall we?” She said with a husky threating voice.
And left angry from the living room, leaving Amira with her hand over her heart, being more frighten then before.
Later, Kristall came, bringing Angell blue roses. He saw her mood, asking what happened.
“My mother, she forbids me to see you.” Angell said revolted.
“Do not worry love; I will talk to your mother.”
Then he kissed her smooth, getting up from the girl’s bed, lowering happy the stairs, like Angell just told him a joke, then he exit the house.
Amira was in the backyard, where the snow considerably increased. She was walking in it, powerless, not knowing what to do further with her daughter. She was aware that the girl stopped listen to her, and that suddenly change of comportment, was pushing the woman to hate that Kristall boy more than anything in the world. She felt tided by the hands and feet, because she couldn’t do anything, and in her mind a plan came, sort of ridiculous and in the same time dangerous, to kidnap her daughter and to get her in Sareville at Sabrina. Walking thoughtfully through the snow, she didn’t paid attention at the way, and on a corner, after a bush and some trees; she found the Forget-me-not flowers, remaining dumbfounded.
The flowers weren’t frozen or dead; on the contrary they were shiny, blue, and full of life, like they were made of plastic. The tree near the blue “gentry” was in a trap of those flowers, which were like they grew from the trees truck, getting higher until the branches. Amira got scared, walking some steps back, and when she turned, strongly flinched because Kristall was there smiling.
“Amira, are you feeling ok?” He said with calm but with a trace of sarcasm in his voice like he was carrying.
“Get away from me.” Amira said, walking a few steps back, with her pointing finger rose to him, threating.
“Why are you so irritable?”
Amira ignore him and turned away. She walked quickly on the frozen marble stairs, where the snow considerably submitted, but for her surprise, the boy reappeared from nowhere.
“Where do you think you’re running Amira? I just want to talk. Don’t be impolite.”
“I have nothing to talk with you!”
“Oh yeah, well, you see I think you do. We have so much in common.” The boy said, being satisfied for seeing the fear from her looks.
“I don’t know who you are, and what you want but…”
“But?” He started to laugh, like that conversation was pathetic, worthily to be a joke. “But… but, wait, what was that phrase? But I will not get away that easily?”
“Not quite.” The woman said ironic, feeling her blood boiling in her veins. “I wanted to say that, but… you are a monster which deserves to be beheaded.”
“Oh, thank you so much for the compliments. And why you do not wish for me to become your son-in-law?”
“I refrain from comments.”
“Ok. You said something good for the first time, a bonus for the mother-in-law.”
And without any warning, Kristall grabbed Amira’s arm, and his face expression suddenly changed, from a exaggerating calm.
“Now look here you old hag! If you care about your precious life, I friendly advice you to step away and to not prevent Angell to be with me, do I made myself clear?”
“HELP!” Amira shouted in the hope that someone will hear her, but Kristall lost his temper and strongly pushed Amira, and she felt rolling on the marble stairs, hitting her head on the last step, losing her awareness.
“Amira? What is going on?” Said a smooth voice.
Amira got up dizzy and realized that the monster named Kristall disappeared from the landscape, but instead at her a known girl was approaching.
With long and softly curl black hair, angelic face and the eyes almond shape and brown, the girl got at Amira’s side. The woman told to herself that she just lost her mind, because she was watching herself, like a clone. Her teenage alter ego was watching her smiling and petting her.
“Come up. You will freeze out here.” The Amira teenager said, raising Amira from the ground, holding her hand.
“Whe… where am I?”
“Home. Aunt Creselda it’s preparing apple pies.”
“Really?” Amira got amazed, while she was climbing the marble stairs with the other Amira.
“Oh my God. I am me. I mean…”
The teenage Amira smiled to her, holding her round belly, which could be observed from the winter’s cloths.
“Angell.”
Her younger double smiled and Amira closed her eyes, feeling warm. She opened them and realized that she was standing in front of the door. She grabbed the latch, easily opening the door, being very curious.
“My Amira darling, where have you been?” A tender voice could be heard, and from the head of the stairs, aunt Creselda was lowering, with a kindly face expression.
She smiled to the girl with warm and went to the kitchen. She looked stupefied around, seeing the old furniture, classic, which knew very well that she putted in the attic last time when she renovate the house.
She saw a mirror on the wall next to her, and moaned. In it was her reflexing but at 17 years old. Everything was exactly like 22 years ago, like in 1990.
A small girl, who didn’t have more than 10 years, came from the living room, jumping with energy a rope. She had bushy hair and blond, caught in two tails, with a round pinky face.
“Amira, do you want to play with me?”
Amira watched her with attention and smiled, feeling like in heaven.
“Sabrina?” She asked amazed.
“Yes. Want to play?”
“I can’t honey.” Amira said, putting her hands on the belly.
“Ah yes the baby.” She said with dear and left.
“Amira, do you want to eat honey? I cocked something special today, being the Valentine’s Day.”
Amira, which wasn’t any more surprised but very delighted, went to the kitchen where everything smelled very good and very familiar.
Sabrina was already eating with appetite, balancing her feet and smiled sweet to Amira who entered the kitchen, with a large smile on her face.
But when she looked in the window, she saw Angell crying with blood tears. Amira suddenly felt an awful pain in the belly zone, like someone took a knife and stabbed her there. Amira closed her eyes, moaning. Creselda throw the pancake and ran to her, taking her under the shoulders, carrying her quickly in the living room and laid her on the sofa.
“Breath in and out my dear.”
“What is happening to me?” She said scared.
“The baby it’s coming, we do not have much time left. Sabrina, please dear go and fetch me some
warm water. Quickly.”
The little girl, who remained with her mouth open of amazing and at the same time scared, ran to the kitchen. Didn’t last long and came back with a flagon, which she was barley caring it.
“There, there. Now Amira, push. Come on love, you can do it”
She felt it like she was about to pass out in a second. Was hurting her so much that she didn’t know what happened next, neither when she heard a baby crying, freshly brought to the world. But after that she passed out.
“Mother?” A shaking voice could be heard.
Amira opened her eyes, observing that she was on her sofa from the renovated house, and Creselda with Sabrina disappeared. But something wasn’t right. All the furniture was full of dust, not taking care of, rotten by the time. Spiders web were everywhere. Amira got up and saw in the mirror that she had 20 years old. She looked weird around, getting frighten.
“Mother?” Again the unclear voice.
The girl walk scared to the main hall, and climbed the stairs which were making noise at Amira’s steps, being rotten and the red carpet was unbrazed, dirty and scuffed.
Arrived at the superior floor hall, she watched Angell’s room, where the door was nearly open.
“Mother? Is that you?” Angell’s voice could be heard again, but very different.
Amira slowly entered the room, discovering the dust and an old lady. She had a long and white hair, with her eyes deep in orbits and greenish.
“Mother. You came. I thought that I will never see you again.”
“Angell?” Amira got scared seeing her daughter which could be compared with a great grandmother.
“Yes. A long time passed.”
“What happened, Angell?”
Amira took a seat in front of her, with hey eyes wet. Angell putted her hand on Amira’s cheek and she felt it cold with her uncared long nails.
“You left me. It is my fault. You ran away from me because of Kristall. He died. I remained alone. I am cursed to be immortal.”
“Angell. Please forgive me.” Amira said, staring to cry.
“It is not your fault mother. It’s mine.”
Amira was crying without stopping. Angell smiled to her, even if she had her lips purple and the skin white and lowered.
“Mother, I have something for you.”
And Angell took off a ring from her pocket, a blue one which had the A letter on it, was shiny.
“What is this?”
“It is the moonstone. It is the stone which annihilate every spell possibly. Mother, take it and give to me, until I will not end up like this.”
“What do you mean?” Amira said amazed.
“You will go back in the past, at your time. Put this on my finger, until will not be too late.”
Amira nodded her head, and Angell putted the ring on Amira’s pointing finger, then she kissed her forehead.
“I love you mother, I always do.”
“I love you too Angel. A lot.”
Amira dried her tears and looked at the right side, seeing a white door in the wall. The only door from Angell’s room was the entrance to the second hall way, but seemed to be that in that room was another one.
Amira got up, and Angell watched her with her lost glance, smiling. The girl opened the door, and a strong light overflowed. She enters and realized that she was in Sunshine, in her courtyard. Was a beautiful clear summer night, with the full moon present on the night sky.
“Amira, my love.”
Amira turned and saw teenage Lovin. With his green eyes, athletic, tall, and the face soft like a child, the boy approached her.
“Lovin, I’ve missed you so much.” Amira said, hugging him.
“Me too.”
“But Lovin, how’ve come you are so young, like at 17 years old?”
“This thing doesn’t matter now Amira. Something else it’s much important! Our daughter!”
“I know. I received this from her.” Amira said, showing Lovin the ring with the moonstone on it.
“Yes. Save her Amira. Throw her you can save everybody.”
“Lovin… I want… I want for you to come back with me.”
Amira wasn’t far away from crying, and Lovin petted her watching her eyes with love.
“If I could, I would, honestly. But I cannot leave this time, plus that… I will always be here.”
“Here where Lovin? Amira said, with her voice shaking.
“Here love, in your heart.” The boy said, putting his hand on her chest.
“I love you Lovin.”
“I love you too Amira. Now, go and save our daughter.”
Lovin took her hand and together they were walking quickly towards the forest.
“Lovin, where are you taking me?” Amira asked curiously.
“You will see, where everything started.”
Amira had a hunch about where the boy was about to take her, but she let herself go. Lovin, while he was walking, was watching by time to time at Amira, warmly smiling, a thing which the girl felt it until her finger feet. Leaving the forest, they walked on the paved road and Amira remained masked when she saw that they were heading towards the crossroad. Not just any crossroad but the Pepromeno one.
“Lovin, what are we doing here?” Amira said in the moment when the boy leaded her to that crossroad.
“You told me Amira that you had a vision here. You saw your future daughter, she made a pact with the cursed flower of forget-me-not, you saw blood… now it’s the moment to return back home, and to save her until it’s not too late.”
Amira agreed only from her looks. Lovin hugged her and whispered.
“Love, close your eyes and let yourself taken by my love.”
Amira listen to him. She closed her eyes, feeling the boy’s warm and power, like wanting to never leave that memory or what was it. The warm started to fade away and the darkest coming back. Amira didn’t feel Lovin no longer in her arms, even if she wanted so badly for Lovin to come back with her. The frost came back, covering Amira which was laying down into the cold snow. The day vanished, being already replaced by the night with the frozen moon which was already on the dark winter sky. Amira felt her head heavy, like in a moment it would explode. She got up from the snow, being a little dizzy and started to climb the marble stairs. She looked at her hand and saw the ring gave it by old lady Angell, which wasn’t an illusion or a dream. The moonstone from the ring was beautiful shining in the night, and Amira gain courage and power walking quickly on the stairs. Was the moment to save her daughter from Kristall and to bring her back. Arrived in the main courtyard full of snow, Amira heard laughter and giggles from the house, and she intensity thought how she will give Angell the ring without Kristall to see.
“Angell!” Amira started to shout from the courtyard. “Angell!”
The woman was standing there with her hands in the pockets, waiting for her daughter to make a gesture. Indeed that the happiness from inside stopped, not hearing a thing from the house. At one point the door opened and Kristall appeared.
“Amira, I thought that you learnt your lesson.” The boy said threating.
“Yes… I know but I want just to say goodbye to Angell. She is however my daughter.” She said with a silky voice, humble, hoping that the boy wouldn’t catch her lying.
“Yeah, very well then. After all, you procreate her.” Kristall said laughing, and getting back inside.
Amira wanted to tell him something sweet about his procreation joke, but she thought wisely to shout her mouth. On the door Angell appeared, and Amira made large eyes, seeing that the girl’s her was shining from the hallway light, because was golden blond.
“What do you want? Didn’t you left already?” She said with a glacial husky voice.
“Angell, I have something for you.”
“Why? Your will?” She said ironically.
“Please come here to give to you. At least to this for me, the last one.” Amira said very sure of herself.
Angell watched behind with
out saying anything. She was putting in the balance that situation, then she careless shrugged, closing the door and going out at Amira.
“Why not, I hope it’s expensive.”
Getting closer to the woman, she could easily say that her daughter was possessed. Her face expected changed, not recognizing her any longer. Amira started to shake of nervous, thinking at that last chance which if she will not manage to fulfill it, she will lose Angell for good.
“So woman, what do you have for me? And fast, cuz’ I am freezing here.”
“Look.”
Amira took the ring from her pocket and showed her. Angell made big eyes at seeing the moonstone from the top, which had the A letter inscription on it.
“Wow, what a gift. You did well giving that to me.”
Amira smiled pleased, and starched the ring to her. Angell, greedy, snatched fast the ring, watching it with fascination, and then she put it on the pointer finger, slowly, admiring it.
“Nice gift….” But she didn’t finish her sentence that she started to have convulsions. Amira putted her hand on her mouth being horrified. Angell felt in four legs, starting to throw up blue water.
“What did you done to me?” She said with a demonic glass which scared Amira.
Then she got up, wiping her mouth, watching Amira. The woman saw that little by little Angell was starting to regain her shape. The eyes were becoming green, soft and gentle, the face was no longer sharp and sucked, her chin started to gentle rounding, and her small thin white lips, to become fleshier and pinky. Her untidy blond hair was staring to get smoother and darken until the brown color came back, curling at the end. Angell looked scared at Amira which remained stoned.
“Mo… mom?” She said, and her voice came back to normal.
“Angell. Oh Lord.”
Amira jumped in her arms, being extremely happy.
“Mother. God. Trust me, it was not my fault. I didn’t want to do or to say a lot of things, I was like controlled.”
“I know Angell. Trust me, I know.”
“ANGELL?” A voice shouted from the door.
Angell turned slowly from her mother’s hugging, looking like she just wanted to kill. A powerful hate could be read in her eyes. The revenge.
“Yeah?” She shouted back.
“What do you mean yeah? Kick out your mom and come inside.” He said angry.
“Angell, whatever you do, do not take the ring off.” Amira said to her in whisper.
“Coming…. love.” Angell said ironically, and smile to Amira without Kristall to see.
“Come on already. My balls will freeze.”
Angell walked slowly towards him, smiling. Kristall watched her carefully, like he just realized that something wasn’t right.
“Kristall. I have a good and a bad news. What is the first you want to hear?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“The bad news is… I want to break up. And the good news is… I don’t give a shit about you, now get the fuck out of my house, you little piece of shit!”
“What the hell it’s wrong with you?”
“GET THE FUCK OUT!”
Kristall watched her like the girl lost her mind. Then he started to laugh loudly like Angell just told him a good joke.
“But you are so naive. Do you think that I can go since you are the one who brought me here?”
Amira frown at that affirmation, not understanding what he was talking about.
“Yes. Once I brought you here, I can easily cast you back.”
“Back where Angell? And I really don’t understand how you are changed.
“Do you mean why I am not your dummy anymore?”
“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?” He yelled at Amira.
“A little help from another time.” The woman said smiling and very happy because of his reaction.
“I DON’T UNDE…”
But suddenly stopped when Angell showed him what ring she had on her finger.
“The moonstone. THAT’S IMPOSIBLE. Where do you have his?”
“It is my secret, you stupid ass.” Amira said happy.
“THE HUMANS CANNOT PUT THEY HAND ON THIS!” Kristall started to rags. “ONLY THE GODS HAVE THE STONE!”
“Whatever, doesn’t matter. You are leaving now, Kristall.”
“TAKE IT OFF!” He shouted and grabbed Angell’s arm, trying to take the ring away. Amira ran to him, to save her daughter, and without knowing, she took action in a second. The stone gain power, shining so strongly that it cast Kristall away, landing on the snow.
“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING YOU STUPID GIRL! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!” The boy said, leaving from the yard, taking care to slam the gate.
Angell was more than amazed, looking at the stone, and her mother was more than shocked.
“Angell?